


Five Times Clint Barton helped the Avengers and The One Time He Couldn't

by cynatnite



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-09
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-15 02:55:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1288558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynatnite/pseuds/cynatnite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five Times Clint Barton was there for the Avengers when they needed someone. One time he couldn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Clint Barton helped the Avengers and The One Time He Couldn't

Agent Clint Barton remained close to Natasha Romanov as she was seated in back of the black van. It had taken some convincing on his part for her to come with him, but she had seen the trust in his eyes. He sat next to her and leaned in.

“It’ll be okay,” Clint promised. “You won’t regret this.”

“If I do, I’m killing you first.”

She meant that. Clint was sure of it.

The van moved and less than an hour later, they arrived at the safe house on the outskirts of Barcelona. Clint still remembered getting the order from Coulson to kill her. The directive had come from the upper echelon in SHIELD. Natasha Romanov had made more enemies than friends in her career as a paid assassin.

The night before on a rooftop across the street, Clint had eyed her through a window getting ready to assassinate a diplomat and his wife. She was in his gun sights and he was ready to put a bullet in her head when he saw her lower her own weapon. Clint had guided the scope around the room and found the reason why. A family photograph had gotten her attention. He watched her holster her weapon and convey some sort of instructions to the couple.

Clint watched her make her escape just as they were getting on the phone. The Russian mafia would now put a price on her head for not following through with her mission. The ground was growing smaller under her feet and she had only one place to go. He followed her.

Once out of the van, Clint said, “They’re going to put you in a room for now. Just relax.”

“Sure,” Natasha replied. She didn’t believe him.

“It’ll be okay.”

“Will you stop saying that?” Natasha sighed then said, “Thank you, Barton. I know you’re sticking your neck out for me. No one’s ever done that for me before.”

Clint wanted to smile. He saw the door open to the safe house and Agent Phil Coulson moved towards him. Seeing the displeasure in his eyes, Clint got to him while Natasha was taken inside.

“I can explain.”

“I certainly hope so, Agent Barton. Natasha Romanov is a paid assassin.”

“Not anymore.”

“What is that supposed to mean? She was hired by the Russian mob to take out a top Ukrainian diplomat and his family.”

“She didn’t. She couldn’t go through with it, sir.”

“Barton, you were under orders to take her out. She’s dangerous.”

“No more than I was when you found me. Remember?”

“It’s not the same.”

“It is!” Clint stepped closer determined to help Nat. “I had nowhere to go. I had nothing and the ground was growing smaller under my feet every day. When you found me, I didn’t give a damn whether I lived or died or who I took with me. You know that.”

“Clint,” Coulson began.

“The only difference between me and her is that she doesn’t want to take anyone down with her. At least not anymore. She needs us, sir. I think we need her, too. She has ten times the skills the rest of us do.”

“Director Fury is going to discipline you over this.”

“It won’t be the first time. He listens to you. Always has.”

“Let’s go talk to her. You better be right.”

There was no doubt in his mind. Clint did smile.

~*~

By the time Clint had his bow back in its place, the rain had stopped. He had toweled off when it occurred to him that friends were always better than enemies. He grabbed another towel from the rack and a bottle of water.

Clint crossed the compound and found the trailer where the prisoner had been taken. He gave the guard a nod and was allowed inside. The large blond sat in a chair with his hands still cuffed.

“Take those off,” he ordered the nearby agent. “You can leave.”

When they were alone, Clint moved closer. He held out the towel. “Here. Get dried off. You don’t need to look like a fucking monster out of a creature feature.”

The man finally took the towel and half-heartedly began drying himself.

“You didn’t kill anyone.” Clint opened the bottled water and held it out. “Seems like you knew exactly how to effectively stop your opponent without inflicting deadly force. You’re pretty damn good at it.”

Still silent, the man took the bottle and used it to moisten the towel. He began to wipe the mud from his face.

“They’re going to question you. They’ll figure out your story eventually. They always do. You are righteous to them, and they’ll treat you accordingly. We’re just trying to protect ourselves. It’s getting harder to do that these days.”

Clint was surprised when the large blond looked up at him. “Thank you.”

When Clint left the trailer, he met Coulson who was headed inside. “Don’t be too hard on him.”

Coulson nearly smiled. “He took out the strongest agents SHIELD has.”

“They’re fine.” Clint nearly reached over and straightened Coulson’s crooked tie. The man was irresistible. “Something happened to him, Coulson, but he acted with honor.”

“How do you figure?”

“He could have easily killed every one of those agents. He had a chance to fight his way out when he couldn’t pick up that damn hammer and he didn’t. It’s like he’s beaten.”

“You expect me to treat him with kid gloves.”

“Think about this, Phil. He could leave anytime and short of using deadly force, we wouldn’t be able to stop him.”

Clint knew his words sunk in as he watched Phil go inside. He loved the man and he was all business. It made it impossible for him to get close.

~*~

The worst thing about Afghanistan during the summer was the hot wind blasting in your face. It was much harder to fight when in the air with the helicopter doors open. Clint leaned over with his binoculars and saw nothing but white sand against the pale blue sky.

He glanced at Rhodey. “Sir, we should try the next grid over. It tracks closer to that radar signal you picked up.”

Rhodey shook his head. “That was hours ago and if I know Tony he’ll be headed this way.”

“It’s damn easy to get lost in these deserts, sir.”

“Tony’s a genius. He’s not lost. Trust me.”

Clint nodded. He pushed the headphones off his ears and let them hang around his neck. He’d been ordered to track Ten Rings and the investigation wound up in the middle of a search for weapons industrialist Tony Stark.

He had left Phil Coulson back in the states running a secondary investigation into how Tony Stark’s location had been compromised. Still on Clint’s mind was how to approach the workaholic agent. Each scenario he came up with was either lame or lamer.

“We’ve got something?”

Clint replaced his headphones and moved forward. In the distance, they saw a lone figure waving. As they got closer, the person fell to their knees.

“It’s him!” Rhodey exclaimed.

The bird landed and by the time Tony Stark was brought inside, he had collapsed to the floor of the helicopter. Clint pulled off his headphones and checked Tony’s pulse. It was erratic and his skin was tight. The exposure to the elements had put Stark’s life at risk.

“He’s dehydrated,” Clint said. “Get that water and start wetting him down.”

After the helicopter got in the air, Clint reached for the first aid kit and yanked it open. He found what he needed. Clint hung the IV bag on a nearby hook and attached a line to it. He applied a tourniquet and yanked the cap of the needle off with his teeth. After making sure the area was clean, Clint inserted the needle.

“Get me some tape,” Clint ordered.

He took the strips of tape from Rhodey and secured the IV. Clint checked the drip and made sure it was enough to hydrate Tony, but not too much to put too much liquid in his system too quickly. He looked over at him.

“You’re going to be okay,” Clint assured him.

Tony’s eyes were barely open and he took hold of Clint’s hand in his. The thanks were in his eye.

~*~

He had no one’s permission to do this, but by now Clint didn’t really give a damn. He was beyond caring what his superiors thought. Coulson had been avoiding him for months and he was ready to snap.

_Screw the bullshit_ , he thought to himself. _I know what needs done_.

Clint used the borrowed key to open the door and held it open for Steve Rogers, AKA, Captain America.

“I got beat up in the alley behind this place. It’s why I never saw the inside of it.”

“Trust me,” Clint said with a half-smile.

Steve did and went inside. Clint followed.

The old gym was from a bygone era. Everything from equipment and yellowing photos on the wall spoke of a rich history of fighters and trainers.

Clint folded his arms and watched Steve move about the place taking in the ambience. “I talked to the owner. His father used to talk about you all the time. He said you could use the place anytime. The key is yours.”

“Really? How well do you know the owner?”

“Let’s just say I gave him a drink of water one time.”

Steve walked over. “This is great. Thanks.”

“I thought something familiar would help a little. It won’t give you back what you lost.”

“I wasn’t supposed to leave SHIELD HQ, was I?”

“The place can be like a cage, you know. Sometimes you gotta just break out.”

“Are we talking about you?”

“They had shrinks in the old days?”

“They were called bartenders.”

“Let’s go. I know the perfect place.”

After locking up the gym, Clint and Steve headed to the nearest watering hole.

~*~

Clint hated the South American jungle. It wasn’t just the heat. It was the humidity and how sweat just poured off of him as if he just got out of a hot shower. Everything stuck to him from dirt, to clothes and even bugs.

“I fucking hate the jungle,” he muttered.

Maneuvering a jeep over the rocky road didn’t help matters. When he heard a growl, he stopped the auto and shut it off.

“Damn it,” he whispered. By the time he heard the pounding run behind him, he knew he was going to be walking for the rest of the journey.

Clint jumped from the jeep just as a green monster crashed out of the thick jungle. He scrambled away while the Hulk made mincemeat out of his transportation.

He was thirty miles from the nearest town where Coulson waited for him. When they had gotten word that Banner was treating patients here, they knew that General Ross would be on his tail as well. The confrontation hadn’t been deadly, but disastrous to say the least.

Coulson had ordered him to stay on Banner’s trail. SHIELD would make sure the Bolivian government would put a stop to Ross’ intrusive actions in their country. Clint was thankful SHIELD could operate a little more freely.

He tracked the Hulk for another half hour. He stopped at a small river and filled his canteen. The water felt good on his skin. He heard a footstep and slid his weapon from the holster. Clint sunk down and turned his head to see Dr. Bruce Banner collapse near the river in complete exhaustion.

Clint put the gun back in place and went to him. “Never knew doing that took so much out of you.”

Bruce looked up at him. He held up his hands. “Don’t come near me. You know what’ll happen.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not.” Clint handed out his canteen. “You want some water?”

“Thanks.” Bruce took a drink. “You didn’t happen to see a backpack around here, did you?”

“It was in my jeep until you sandwiched it between your fists.”

“Figures. I keep a change of clothes in it.”

“We might be able to find it. Come on.”

Clint helped him to his feet. They spent nearly an hour searching, but managed to find what was left of Bruce’s backpack. Fortunately, the change of clothes survived. When he was dressed, Clint handed him an energy bar.

“I’m supposed to tranq you,” Clint admitted.

“You work for Ross?”

“Fuck no. SHIELD.”

“No better.”

Clint wasn’t going to argue. He’d had his share of crap days with SHIELD.

“What is your plan?”

“Well, I figure it this way. The more people leave you alone, the less likely you are to…”

“Become the other guy,” Bruce finished. “That’s usually how it goes.”

“If I were you, I’d head to Southeast Asia. There are deep pockets in the area where there is little to no government contact and plenty of people who need medical care. That’s your best shot.”

“These jungles hold an enormous variety of medicinal plants. They might help me find a cure.”

Clint shrugged his shoulders as he stuck a piece of gum in his mouth. “Your choice, but I’m not taking you to SHIELD. I think you’re too dangerous for us.”

“I don’t know how to take that,” Bruce said with a wry grin.

“I’m liable to be shot for not following orders, but you deserve a little peace.”

“You get a thanks for that.”

With Clint’s help, Bruce went his own way far from SHIELD and General Ross. Clint made it back to the hotel where Coulson waited. Once inside, he headed to the sink and washed the grime from his face.

“Well?” Phil asked. “What happened?”

“Are you going to take me out back and shoot me?”

“You let him go,” Phil replied with a heavy sigh.

“If we try to hold him, we’re going to lose half of whatever city we stick him in.”

“We’ve got other arrangements for the Hulk,” Coulson told him.

“What are you talking about?”

“The secret project that Fury’s been overseeing for the last two years. Part of it entails a cage for the Hulk. We’re pretty sure we can hold him.”

“I wouldn’t take bets on that.” Clint dried his face and tossed the towel on the bed.

“It doesn’t matter, Agent Barton. You were ordered to tranq Banner after his transformation and bring him back here.”

“Well, his counterpart left pieces of my jeep all over the jungle. It made more sense to let him go as Dr. Bruce Banner and not the Hulk.”

“That wasn’t your call to make. You had your orders and once again, you didn’t follow through.”

“Am I fired?”

“Fired? No, but you will go on report and possibly brought up before a review board to explain your actions.”

“So, either I’ll get a slap on the wrist and sent back to the field or I’ll get sent to the Fridge.”

“What’d you expect, Barton, when you flout the rules and the system.”

“Fuck you, Coulson! That’s all you care about is your damn fucking rules! These are people we’re dealing with here and their lives! That should count for something!”

Coulson swung around. “I don’t know what the hell has gotten into you, Agent, but it ends now.”

“I’ll tell you what’s gotten into me!” Clint stepped closer to him. “It’s you. You just can’t see past those goddamn reports. You’re missing out on what’s right in front of you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We’re supposed to do the right thing,” Clint told him. “We’re the good guys…remember? Not some pencil pushing dicks who only reads the bullet points of reports.”

“You think that’s what I am.”

“You didn’t used to be. When you brought me to SHIELD it was about saving people, the world.” Clint stripped off his shirt and tossed it aside. “There’s something else we’ve got to be honest about.”

“No,” Coulson shook his head. “We can’t.”

“I don’t give a damn.” Clint pulled Coulson’s lips to his and pushed him to the wall. He put his body intimately next to Phil’s. The warm body next to his intensified the desire. He nearly moaned when he felt Coulson’s mouth giving in under his persuasive kiss.

He was finally pushed away. “What’s wrong?”

Coulson was breathing hard. “We can’t do this.”

“Why not? We both want it. You know it.”

“Yes, I do. I shouldn’t have avoided it or you.” Coulson lightly touched his lips.

Clint licked his lips trying to never forget what Coulson tasted like. “I care about you and if you say you don’t care about me, I’ll know you’re lying.”

“I’d never lie to you, Clint, but you must know that a relationship between us is impossible. We could compromise each other. We’d be a weakness…”

“No!” Clint was adamant. “We’d be stronger. What I feel for you makes me stronger.”

“Do you honestly think I wouldn’t do anything to keep you safe…alive.”

“I’d want you to let me die, Phil, before you gave up any Intel. It’d be the same for you.”

“I don’t know if I could and I don’t want to find out.” While Clint crossed the room and sat on the bed, Coulson continued. “I’ll file a report to Fury saying that we lost track of the Hulk in the jungle. We’ve been ordered to HQ. We both have been given Level 8 clearance for a major Op.”

“Fine.”

Coulson straightened. “I’m sorry, Clint. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Clint stood and went to him. “You think I’m giving up on us? Not a fucking chance.” He gave Phil another mind-blowing kiss and nearly grinned at seeing the breathlessness on him. “You better get used to me kissing you a lot.”

Clint Barton headed to the bathroom and made a point of slamming the door behind him.

~*~

The complex was enormous and it was rare that Clint caught sight of Coulson. They did manage to find a moment in the mess hall. Clint looked up when Coulson approached him carrying a lunch tray.

“You’re eating with me?”

“No, I can’t. I have a meeting with Director Fury,” Phil answered. “I had to tell you something.”

“What?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, to…”

Clint couldn’t stop smirking. Phil Coulson was stammering.

His voice laced with frustration, Phil said, “Agent Barton, you were right in South America and you were right. Satisfied?”

“Much.”

“We’ll get together tomorrow after our shifts. Agreed?”

“Absolutely.”

As Coulson walked away, Clint grinned as he watched him until he was out of sight. He couldn’t wait.

The plans never happened. The complex was destroyed when a demigod arrived unexpectedly and laid waste to innocent lives around him. By the time it was done, the world had changed in the most unexpected ways. The sheer destruction would be immeasurable for decades to come if ever.

Clint was relieved to have himself back where he belonged. He knew it would take some time for him to come to terms what he had done and what had been done to him. There was no doubt that he’d do it with Phil Coulson at his side.

He’d kept a bit of shit grin on his face at the thought of being with Phil. It had been a rough road and as they ate shawarma, everyone quieted as the toll of the losses and the battle began to settle into the consciousness of the team.

When everyone was finished, Clint took a deep breath. “Listen, I know that it’s been rough and maybe you don’t think I deserve…”

“Hey, Clint,” Steve said. “You’re an Avenger. Never think otherwise. Got it?”

“Thanks. As I was saying, I’m going to ask Phil Coulson to marry me.”

The group grew deathly silent and Clint looked to each one of them. “What’s wrong? You don’t approve of…”

“God no, it’s not that,” Natasha said gently. “We’d never…”

“What is it?”

When Clint saw Tony’s downcast eyes, he knew. Nothing said trouble like Tony Stark’s sudden silence and avoiding looking at you. He tapped on his earpiece. “Barton to Coulson.”

Natasha went to him and kneeled down. “Clint, please.”

The tears in her eyes were more than he could take. “He’s dead.”

“We’re sorry,” Bruce told him. “Coulson was the best.”

“God,” Clint whispered. “I don’t understand. I never saw him on the helicarrier.” Realization struck. “It was there? When I lead the strike force?”

“Don’t go there,” Steve told him. “It was not your fault.”

“Loki did it, Clint. He killed him.”

“I went to the detention level and let Loki out. He told me to go the engine room and finish the job.” Clint leaned forward and covered his eyes. Then he jerked out of his seat and went to the street. “I have to kill him.”

“You can’t, my friend,” Thor explained. “Even our Hulk friend could not damage him in such a way.”

“I loved him since Barcelona, Nat,” Clint said. “His tie was fucking crooked. Seems like every time we butted heads, I loved him a little more. I think he loved me more each time, too.”

“I know he did.” Natasha leaned in and put her hand around his waist. “He told me about you two.”

“You’re staying at my place,” Tony announced.

“It’s our turn to be there for you this time,” Steve told Clint.

The group lead Clint down the street keeping him close.

 

END


End file.
